Veneer slitting apparatus



Dec. 29, 1964 L. w. BERGSTRAND 3,163,071

VENEER SLITTING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 29, 1964 L. w. BERGSTRAND 3,16

VENEERSLITTINGAPPARATUS Filed May 23, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

Dec. 29, 1964 1.. w. BERGSTRAND 3,163,071

VENEER SLITTING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet s United States Patent VENEER SETTING APPARATUS Lars Waldemar Bergstrand, 53 Livingstone Ave, Pynible, New South Wales, Australia Filed May 23, 962, er. No. HLllZi) Claims priority, application Australia, lune 29, 196i, 6,36/ 61 2 Claims. (Cl. $3-- i33) The present invention relates to slitting apparatus for slitting veneer into strips for example for use in wood veneer weaving apparatus.

Wood veneer strips are obtained at present by passing through a multiple gang saw sheets of veneer which are sawn into longitudinal strips by the saws. As each saw makes a cut of at least in width there is considerable wastage.

The object of the present invention is to provide a veneer slitting device which in contrast to the presently used veneer sawing devices slits the veneer into a pinrality of strips by means of cutting knives and avoids waste.

The present invention provides veneer slitting apparatus comprising a frame member and mounted thereon veneer sheet guide means, a cutting device, a cooperating driven roll pair for propelling the veneer sheet into engagement with and through the cutting device, and a further cooperating driven roll pair for engaging the cut veneer strips to assist the first-mentioned roll pair in propelling the veneer sheet through the cutting device, said cutting device including a plurality of stationary blades extending through the plane of the veneer sheet as it passes through the roll pairs, a supporting member releasably positioned in the frame member, a demountable blade carrying member depending from said supporting member and on which said blades are mounted in spaced side by side relationship, and spacer means on said blade carrying member for spacing said blades to provide the desired strip width, the cutting blades having apertures through which the blade carrying member passes for correctly positioning the blades on the blade carrying member.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a general view of the apparatus of the present invention with the guard and cutting device raised;

FiuURE 2 is a cross section view of the cutting device viewed in the direction of movement of the veneer;

FIGURE 3 is a view along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section view of the second, third or fourth roll pairs viewed in the direction of travel of the veneer;

FIGURE 5 is a view of first roll pair viewed in the direction opposite to the travel of the veneer; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-section enlarged View along the line 66 of FlGURE 5.

A series of roll pairs in, 11 and 12 (only the upper roll of each pair is indicated) are mounted on a frame 13 with their axes of rotation transverse to the longitudinal direction of the frame which is parallel to the direction of travel (indicated by an arrow in FIGURE 1) of strips of veneer adapted to pass between the roll pairs. The roll pairs are driven at a constant speed by a gear drive from an electric motor.

The roll pairs include the three aforespecified it), 11 and 12 and are four in number but the first roll, not previously mentioned, pair includes a lower driven roll 14 driven at the same speed as the other rolls and an upper idler roll 15 spring loaded towards the lower roll 14 and of length but a fraction the length of the lower roll 14 so that its axis can be inclined with respect to the axis of the lower roll (whilst remaining horizontal) to displace a strip of veneer passing the'rebetween towards one side or the other, there being a guide member 16 on the side towards which the veneer is displaced so that the veneer is fed to the next and succeeding rolls iii, 11 and 12 and also to the cutting device 17 in a direction parallel to the said guide member in. The second, third and fourth roll pairs 16, 131 and 12, are conventional rolls. in eachcase the upper roll is spring loaded towards the lower roll by an adjustable spring device described later.

Immediately after passing through the second roll it) pair the veneer passes through a cutting device 17 where it is slit into the required number of strips and required width. The strips then pass through the two final roll pairs fil and 1.2 which maintain a pull on the slit veneer to at least partially counteract or to exceed the push imparted thereto by the first and second roll pairs 14 and it) before the cutting device 17. A feed speed of about feet per minute is preferred.

Each of the second, third and fourth roll pairs 10, 11 and 12; are carried by a sub-framework construction 18 which retains axially bearing blocks I99 in which the roll shafts rotate. The bearing blocks are capable of up and down movement in guideways forming part of the frame 8 and the upper bearing block in each case is urged towards the lower bearing block which rests 011 the bottom of the sub-frame 18 by means of a leaf spring 2% extending from the bearing blocks on each side and urged downwards by a screw entering into a tapped hole in a cross member 211 which extends above the respective roll pairs and springs and is attached to each side of the subframe 1%.

The idler roll 15 is pivotally mounted in an inverted U-shaped housing 22 pivotally mounted with respect to the cross member 21 of the sub-frame l8 and spring loaded towards the lower roll 14, by means of a blade spring 2.3 and adjusting nut 24.

The cutting assembly 17 comprises a mounting portion 25 for attachment to the base 13 and supporting a lower anvil receiving member 26 transverse to the direction of travel of the veneer, the anvil receiving member 26 having a dovetail recess in which a wooden anvil 27 is received and retained by side strips 28 with cooperating dove-tail shoulders which define the aforementioned dovetail section attached to the anvil receiving member 26 by screws. The uppermost face of the wooden anvil portion 27 is at the same horizontal level as the nip of each roll pair.

The mounting portion 25 of the cutting device 17 includes a lug 2% pivotally connected by a pin 36 to 2. lug 31 on the anvil receiving member 26. A clamping screw 32 and handle is provided on the other side of the cutting device it! to secure the mounting portion 25 in its operaive position.

The mounting portion 25 at its free end is provided with a spacer member 33 in the form of a block having a downwardly extending threaded portion passing through a hole in the free end of the anvil supporting member 26 and retained thereon by a nut from the under side thereof. The lower face of the block of the spacer member 253 from which the threaded portion extends rests on the upper face of the mounting anvil supporting mcrnber'zo. The upper end of the spacer is adapted to receive the clamping screw 32 which passes through the free end of the blade mount ing portion member 26 the latter resting on the upper face of the block of the spacer member 53.

The cutting blades consist of a plurality of razor blades 34 of conventional shape spaced apart by spacers 35 corresponding in width to the desired width of the strips, and secured by means of a securing element 36 passing through each spacer 35 and each blade 34. The securing element is detachably fixed at one end to a first downwardly extending support portion 37 by screws attached to the supporting member 25, and located on one side of the wooden anvil portion 27. The securing element 36 cross section cooperates with the slots in each blade 34 to tilt it downwardly with its lower end embedded in the wood anvil 27. The lower ends of the blades are adjacent the nip of the third roll pair 11. The securing element 36 extends cantilever-wise across and above the anvil 27 and at its free end a clamping member 33 having a blind bore to slidably accommodate an end portion of the element 36, is urged against the razor blades and spacers by means of a bolt 39 located in a tapped hole of a second downwardly extending portion 40 releasably secured to the supporting member 25 on the other side of the wooden anvil 27 to that on which the first downwardly extending member 37 is located.

The second downwardly extending member 40 is secured to the supporting member 25 by a side entry dovetail connection so that it can be withdrawn from it in a direction transverse to its length. A spring loaded ball 41 located in an aperture in the supporting member 25 and retained by a cantilever leaf spring 42 attached to its upper face, projects into the dovetail slot and engages in a dimple in the co-operating dovetail protrusion of the second downwardly extending member 40 to assist in releasably retaining the dovetail elements.

The mounting portion 25 is generally U -shaped in cross section as shown in FIGURE 3. The arms of the U normally are directed downwards, and the inside surfaces thereof have a longitudinal slot of semicircular shape in which the curved ends of the spacers 35 locate. This arrangement serves to support the spacer and blade assemblies and prevents distortion during ope-ration.

Each of the rolls on corresponding ends is provided with a gear wheel. The gear wheels for the upper rolls of the second, third and fourth roll pairs are respectively designated 50, 51 and 52 (FIGURE 1). The gear wheels for the lower rolls of the first through fourth roll pairs are respectively designated 53, 54, S and 56.

Lower roll gear wheels 53 to 56 respectively mesh with intermediate gear wheels 57, 58, 5'9 and 60, each of which is journalled on its respective shaft 61, 63, 63 and 64 supported by the frame 13.

Intermediate gear wheels 57 and 58 mesh with a first idler wheel 65 journalled on shaft 66 mounted on the frame 13. Likewise intermediate gear wheels 59 and 60 mesh with idler wheel 67 journalled on shaft 63 also mounted on the frame 13.

Intermediate gear wheels 53 and 59 mesh with drive gear 69 journalled on a shaft 70 mounted on the frame 13.

The lower roll of the first roll pair is provided with a sprocket "71 on its other side which is driven by a chain 72 meshing with another sprocket 73 driven by an electric motor 74.

The suspension arrangement of the idler roller 15 is shown more clearly in FTGURE 6. The blade spring 23 is applied to the upper face of the sub-frame cross member 21. A threaded bush 43 extends upwardly from the cross member through an aperture therein and in the blade spring and has a shoulder at its lower end which rests on the underside of the cross member 211. A clamping nut 44 releasably locks the bush 43 and the spring 23 to the cross member 21 and provides for angular adjustment of the axis of the idler wheel 15 with respect to the axis of roll 14 through the angular relationship of the spring to the cross member 21. A pivot pin 45 having an enlarged head retained in the bush 43 but otherwise extending through the shoulder is secured to the housing 22. A plunger 46 co-operating with a spring 47 and the head of the pin 45 upon rotation of the adjusting nut 24 threaded on the bush 4:3 serves to vary the spring loading on the idler roller 15.

What I claim is:

1. Veneer slitting apparatus comprising a frame member. veneer sheet guide means supported by said frame member, a cutting device supported by said frame member, a cooperating driven roll pair supported by said frame member for propelling the veneer sheet from the guide means into engagement with and through a cutting device where it is cut into longitudinal strips, a further cooperating driven roll pair supported by said frame member, said further roll pair engaging the cut veneer strips to assist the first-mentioned roll pair in propelling the veneer sheet through the cutting device, said veneer guide means including a pair of rolls, one of which has its axis of rotation horizontal and substantially normal to the direction of travel of the veneer sheet, said roll of the guide means having a cooperating idler roll of shorter length and positioned above it with its axis of rotation horizontal and inclined to the axis of rotation of said guide means roll and located in a horizontal plane for urging the veneer sheet towards one side of the frame member with respect to the direction of travel of the veneer sheet and a guide bar for engagement with the veneer sheet displaced by said idler roll for maintaining it in a direction of travel parallel to the edge of the veneer sheet in contact with the guide bar, said cutting device including a mounting member releasably secured to said frame member, a first member secured to the mounting member, a second member detachably secured to said mounting member, said mounting member being positioned across the direction of travel of the veneer sheet with the first and second members respectively positioned on either side thereof, a securing element extending from and attached to said first element, a plurality of blades with spacers therebetween mounted on said securing element, a clamping member positioned on the free end of the securing element and a bolt threaded in said second element for engaging the end of the adjacent spacer for urging the spacers and blades together on said securing element.

2. Veneer slitting means as claimed in claim 1, including a wooden anvil member supported by the frame member and positioned beneath the cutting device, the cutting edges of the cutting blades in the operative position penetrating the surface of said wooden anvil.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,024 3/41 McFarland 144-184 113,071 3/71 Manton 144-182 127,374 5/72 Schulz.

351,676 10/86 Whitney 144-247 XR 400,991 4/89 Abbott. 401,397 4/89 Whetherell et al. 144-247 673,049 4/01 Dupre. 1,007,308 10/11 Peterman. 1,026,482 5/ 12 White. 1,234,884 7/17 Dozier et a1. 83-433 2,003,404 6/35 Valentine 83-433 2,801,656 8/57 Ford 144-247 XR LESTER NI. SNINGLE, Primary Examiner.

EARL EMSHWILLER, WILLIAM W. DYER, JR.,

Examiners. 

1. VENEER SLITTING APPARATUS COMPRISING A FRAME MEMBER, VENEER SHEET GUIDE MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME MEMBER, A CUTTING DEVICE SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME MEMBER, A COOPERATING DRIVEN ROLL PAIR SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME MEMBER FOR PROPELLING THE VENEER SHEET FROM THE GUIDE MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH AND THROUGH A CUTTING DEVICE WHERE IT IS CUT INTO LONGITUDINAL STRIPS, A FURTHER COOPERATING DRIVEN ROLL PAIR SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME MEMBER, SAID FURTHER ROLL PAIR ENGAGING THE CUT VENEER STRIPS TO ASSIST THE FIRST-MENTIONED ROLL PAIR IN PROPELLING THE VENEER SHEET THROUGH THE CUTTING DEVICE, SAID VENEER GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF ROLLS, ONE OF WHICH HAS ITS AXIS OF ROTATION HORIZONTAL AND SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE VENEER SHEET, SAID ROLL OF THE GUIDE MEANS HAVING A COOPERATING IDLER ROLL OF SHORTER LENGTH AND POSITIONED ABOVE IT WITH ITS AXIS OF ROTATION HORIZONTAL AND INCLINED TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID GUIDE MEANS ROLL AND LOCATED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE FOR URGING THE VENEER SHEET TOWARDS ONE SIDE OF THE FRAME MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE VENEER SHEET AND A GUIDE BAR FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE VENEER SHEET DISPLACED BY SAID IDLER ROLL FOR MAINTAINING IT IN A DIRECTION OF TRAVEL PARALLEL TO THE EDGE OF THE VENEER SHEET IN CONTACT WITH THE GUIDE BAR, SAID CUTTING DEVICE INCLUDING A MOUNTING MEMBER RELEASABLY SECURED TO SAID FRAME MEMBER, A FIRST MEMBER SECURED TO THE MOUNTING MEMBER, A SECOND MEMBER DETACHABLY SECURED TO SAID MOUNTING MEMBER, SAID MOUNTING MEMBER BEING POSITIONED ACROSS THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE VENEER SHEET WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY POSITIONED ON EITHER SIDE THEREOF, A SECURING ELEMENT EXTENDING FROM AND ATTACHED TO SAID FIRST ELEMENT, A PLURALITY OF BLADES WITH SPACERS THEREBETWEEN MOUNTED ON SAID SECURING ELEMENT, A CLAMPING MEMBER POSITIONED ON THE FREE END OF THE SECURING ELEMENT AND A BOLT THREADED IN SAID SECOND ELEMENT FOR ENGAGING THE END OF THE ADJACENT SPACER FOR URGING THE SPACERS AND BLADES TOGETHER ON SAID SECURING ELEMENT. 